Log in

User Name

Password

Remember Me?

Lost Password Recovery Form

If you have forgotten your username or password, you can request to have your username emailed to you and to reset your password. When you fill in your registered email address, you will be sent instructions on how to reset your password.

Aaron Sojourner, University of Minnesota, manipulates Turk Opticon for a study

We need help getting enough donations to pay the monthly server bill. Click the thermometer to learn more.Note: clicking on the above banners and making ANY purchase returns a commission to Turker Nation.
If you can't see the ad, please click on Shop on Amazon instead. | Want to advertise here?PM Spamgirl to learn more!

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ. You must registerbefore you can post or view the content of private forums. To start viewing messages, choose the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

What really gets me is that I can understand 1 stupid researcher, I can't understand a whole panel of stupidity. You don't go into Denny's or Wal-Mart try to get personal information or disrupt a business in the name of research. My office is my home, but it's still my place of business. Same for all of us, and the same for the creators of TO. We all come together for one goal, protecting our business.

I'm in favor of legal action if someone were to go a step forward, I'd contribute. If anything it'd teach the next reaseacher not to F with us.

Quite a few people wrote to UM and complained. A formal complaint has been filed as well, but it is a questionable area as far as the legality. I do not think a criminal action would be brought against him, and would probably go to a civil action requiring lawyers and a lot of time.

I think that Sojourner actually thought he was doing something good even though he was doing it in a scummy slimebag underhanded way.
He has apologized for what he did, but still believes that because of the contribution to economic academic literature, it was necessary. He also never seemed to acknowledge the numerous flaws in his research that many people pointed out.

He has made a name for himself among expierenced turkers and if his research extends into the turking relm again, we will remember who and what he is.

Quite a few people wrote to UM and complained. A formal complaint has been filed as well, but it is a questionable area as far as the legality. I do not think a criminal action would be brought against him, and would probably go to a civil action requiring lawyers and a lot of time.

I think that Sojourner actually thought he was doing something good even though he was doing it in a scummy slimebag underhanded way.
He has apologized for what he did, but still believes that because of the contribution to economic academic literature, it was necessary. He also never seemed to acknowledge the numerous flaws in his research that many people pointed out.

He has made a name for himself among expierenced turkers and if his research extends into the turking relm again, we will remember who and what he is.

I do consider the idea of a small claims lawsuit (or a series of such suits) filed here in California. (If I do this at all, I'll pay out of my own pocket). California doesn't allow lawyers in a small claims case; the rules confer a tactical advantage on the well-prepared layperson. It's still no way to get an enforceable judgment against a huge bureaucracy: if I were to prevail, UMinn would get an automatic appeal to Superior Court, and then they'd be allowed to trot out their battalions of lawyers.

But it might be effective advertising, IMO: inviting the press to pick up a David and Goliath story could induce UM to take the issue seriously. I'd call it a victory if the IRB changes their internal procedures in a publicly visible way, especially if other institutional IRBs took note of a public spanking.

This is not yet my favorite idea; it's just a thing I might be willing to do.

Taintturk is right when he says those researchers don't acknowledge (or even understand) the Wrongness of what they did (on many levels). They still intend to publish the methodologically flawed study.

I certainly don't mind. (Whatever I may post to a public place like TurkerNation or Turkopticon-discuss can always be cited). But Dr. Sojourner was only one of three lead researchers. Because of my own background, I certainly can't hold Dr. Akhmed Umyarov (their computer guy) blameless when he violated California Penal Code section 502. (Most other states -- including Minnesota -- have had similar laws on the books for forty years). Knowing this stuff isn't exactly a "pro tip," so it's something any non-negligent professional ought to know.

Likewise, the project had IRB approval. University of Minnesota sanctioned the study. I expect they'll help bury the bodies, too.

On Friday 8/22, I left a telephone message for Dr. Michael Oakes, IRB Chairman, who volunteered to serve as TO's contact.
To date, I have not been informed of any policy changes, nor remedial actions by the IRB; nor any audit of policies on 'Acceptable Use of Information Technology Resources.'

The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Tribune For This Useful Post:

I wish I got my hands on that hit knowing that it was our old friend Aaron. By the time I was done tearing him apart I would of had a rejection, hard block, and be known as the inventor of a couple of new swear words.